Floating fasteners

An enclosure for a computing device having a lid portion and a base portion, the base portion comprising:

• a plurality of floating fasteners, each floating fastener having a cylindrical portion and a flange, wherein each cylindrical portion has a threaded opening configured to accept a screw, and wherein each flange has a top surface and at least one stop surface;
• a top case comprising:
• a plurality of clearance openings configured to accept the plurality of floating fasteners, each clearance opening configured to accept the cylindrical portion of a corresponding floating fastener, wherein the diameter of each clearance opening is suitably larger than an outer diameter of the cylindrical portion of the corresponding floating fastener so as to provide a clearance area between the diameter of the clearance opening and the outer diameter of cylindrical portion;
• and
• a plurality of cavities, each cavity having an upper surface and at least one datum surface, wherein each upper surface is configured to engage with the top surface of a corresponding floating fastener and each of the at least one datum surfaces is configured to engage with the at least one stop surface of the corresponding floating fastener;
• and
• a bottom case configured to be removably fastened to the top case, the bottom case having a plurality of enclosure openings, wherein when the plurality of enclosure openings are substantially aligned with the threaded openings of the plurality of floating fasteners, a plurality of screws can threadably couple the top and bottom cases of the enclosure.

An outer housing for a computing device, comprising:

• a bottom case adapted to contain a plurality of internal device components therein;
• a top case adapted to seal the plurality of internal device components within the outer housing;
• and
• a plurality of floating fastener assemblies that is collectively adapted to removably fasten the top case to the bottom case, wherein each of the plurality of floating fastener assemblies includes:
• a fastener having a flange and a threaded opening, wherein the threaded opening is configured to accept a screw and the flange has a plurality of stop surfaces;
• a clearance opening associated with the top case, wherein the clearance opening is configured to accept a fastener and a diameter of the clearance opening is suitably larger than an outer diameter of the fastener so as to provide a clearance area between the clearance opening and the fastener;
• a cavity having a plurality of datum surfaces, wherein the plurality of datum surfaces is configured to engage with the plurality of stop surfaces;
• and
• an enclosure opening associated with the bottom case, wherein when the enclosure opening is substantially aligned with the threaded opening of the fastener the screw can threadably engage with the threaded opening of the fastener, thereby fastening the top case and bottom case together.

A method for fastening two portions of an enclosure together, the method comprising:

• positioning a top case of the enclosure such that a plurality of floating fasteners of the top case can accept screws, wherein each floating fastener comprises a cylindrical portion and a flange, wherein each cylindrical portion has a threaded opening configured to accept a screw, and wherein each flange has a top surface and at least one stop surface, the top case comprising:
• a plurality of clearance openings, each clearance opening configured to accept the cylindrical portion of a corresponding floating fastener, wherein the diameter of each of the clearance openings is suitably larger than an outer diameter of the corresponding cylindrical portion so as to provide a clearance area between the diameter of the clearance opening and the outer diameter of cylindrical portion;
• and
• a plurality of cavities, each cavity having an upper surface and at least one datum surface, wherein the upper surface is configured to engage with the top surface of a corresponding fastener and the at least one datum surface is configured to engage with the at least one stop surface of the floating fastener;
• placing a bottom case on the top case such that the enclosure openings of the bottom case are roughly centered with corresponding floating fasteners of the top case,
• placing a plurality of screws in the plurality of enclosure openings of the bottom case and partially engaging the screws with the threaded openings of the floating fasteners of the top case;
• adjusting the position of the bottom case to align with the top case using an alignment tool;
• and
• tightening the screws to fully fasten the top and bottom cases.